This Week

This Week in the 80s: July 7–13

GenX Dude

GenX Dude

— 6 min read
Share
This Week in the 80s: July 7–13

Welcome back to the 1980s. Every week we travel through all ten years of the decade at once — same calendar dates, ten different years. This week covers July 7-13 across 1980 through 1989. Buckle up.

During the Decade of Decadence, this week ran from July 7 to 16. We aim to list things as close to the date they happened, and each week may have overlaps with adjacent weeks due to this calendar nuance.

📰 The News That Shaped the Decade

1980

  • July 7: Los Angeles Unified School District began year-round schooling in 34 more elementary schools to ease overcrowding.
  • July 7: U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 into law, beginning the deregulation of the American trucking industry.
  • July 8: Steve Ovett broke the world record for fastest mile in Oslo, running in 3 minutes, 48.8 seconds.

1981

  • July 7: Sandra Day O'Connor was nominated by President Reagan to be the first female Supreme Court Justice.
  • July 10: The first major league baseball strike began in the United States.
  • July 11: Riots broke out in Toxteth, Liverpool, England.

1982

  • July 9: Pan Am Flight 759 crashed in Kenner, Louisiana, killing all 145 people on board and 8 on the ground.
  • July 11: Italy defeated West Germany 3-1 in the FIFA World Cup Final.
  • July 12: The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) failed to be ratified by the required 38 states, effectively dying.

1983

  • July 7: Ten-year-old American girl Samantha Smith accepts her invitation from Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov and begins her visit to the USSR with her parents.
  • July 11: Reading Rainbow debuts on PBS.

1984

  • July 9: The Democratic National Convention opened in San Francisco, where Geraldine Ferraro was nominated as the first female vice-presidential candidate for a major party.
  • July 12: Walter Mondale announced Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate.
  • July 13: The film "Ghostbusters" was released.

1985

  • July 10: The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior was bombed and sunk by French intelligence agents in Auckland, New Zealand.
  • July 13: The Live Aid concerts were held in London and Philadelphia to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia.
  • May 1985: The Live Aid concerts were announced in May 1985, with the event scheduled for July 13, 1985.

1986

  • July 4: The Statue of Liberty was rededicated in a massive celebration in New York City.
  • July 5-20: The first Goodwill Games were held in Moscow.
  • July 11: The Homosexual Law Reform Act was passed in New Zealand, decriminalizing homosexual acts.

1987

  • July 8: A near mid-air collision occurred over the Atlantic involving a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 and a Continental Airlines Boeing 747.
  • July 11: The world population was estimated to have reached five billion people.
  • July 15: Martial law ended in Taiwan after 38 years.

1988

  • July 3: Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down by the USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people on board.
  • July 6: The Piper Alpha oil platform in the North Sea exploded, killing 167 workers.

1989

  • July 7: The film "When Harry Met Sally..." was released.
  • July 14-16: The G7 summit was held in Paris.

🎵 Soundtrack of the Week

Here's a taste of what was climbing the charts this week across the decade. Paid members get the full Top 10 for every year — all 100 songs, every one linked so you can listen and watch right now.

1980 — Songs #10 to #6

  1. Funkytown — Lipps Inc.
  2. Emotional Rescue — The Rolling Stones
  3. Steal Away — Robbie Dupree
  4. Against the Wind — Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
  5. The Rose — Bette Midler

1981 — Songs #10 to #6

  1. The Tide Is High — Blondie
  2. Give Me the Night — George Benson
  3. Slow Hand — The Pointer Sisters
  4. America — Neil Diamond
  5. I Don't Need You — Kenny Rogers

1982 — Songs #10 to #6

  1. Always on My Mind — Willie Nelson
  2. Hold Me — Fleetwood Mac
  3. Even the Nights Are Better — Air Supply
  4. Abracadabra — Steve Miller Band
  5. Only the Lonely — The Motels

1983 — Songs #10 to #6

  1. China Girl — David Bowie
  2. The Safety Dance — Men Without Hats
  3. She Works Hard for the Money — Donna Summer
  4. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) — Eurythmics
  5. Stand Back — Stevie Nicks

1984 — Songs #10 to #6

  1. Infatuation — Rod Stewart
  2. Borderline — Madonna
  3. Eyes Without a Face — Billy Idol
  4. Sad Songs (Say So Much) — Elton John
  5. Jump (For My Love) — The Pointer Sisters

1985 — Songs #10 to #6

  1. Sentimental Street — Night Ranger
  2. Would I Lie to You? — Eurythmics
  3. Glory Days — Bruce Springsteen
  4. You Give Good Love — Whitney Houston
  5. Heaven — Bryan Adams

1986 — Songs #10 to #6

  1. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) — Pet Shop Boys
  2. Love Touch — Rod Stewart
  3. Higher Love — Steve Winwood
  4. Your Love — The Outfield
  5. Nasty — Janet Jackson

1987 — Songs #10 to #6

  1. Something About You — Level 42
  2. Don't Disturb This Groove — The System
  3. Heart and Soul — T'Pau
  4. Point of No Return — Exposé
  5. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For — U2

1988 — Songs #10 to #6

  1. Perfect World — Huey Lewis and the News
  2. Hands to Heaven — Breathe
  3. Just Got Paid — Johnny Kemp
  4. Nothin' But a Good Time — Poison
  5. New Sensation — INXS

1989 — Songs #10 to #6

  1. Cold Hearted — Paula Abdul
  2. Miss You Much — Janet Jackson
  3. Express Yourself — Madonna
  4. I'll Be There for You — Bon Jovi
  5. Baby Don't Forget My Number — Milli Vanilli

Every song. Every year. Click to listen and watch.

1980

  1. 🏆 Coming Up — Paul McCartney
  2. It's Still Rock and Roll to Me — Billy Joel
  3. Magic — Olivia Newton-John
  4. Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time — The Spinners
  5. Little Jeannie — Elton John
  6. The Rose — Bette Midler
  7. Against the Wind — Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
  8. Steal Away — Robbie Dupree
  9. Emotional Rescue — The Rolling Stones
  10. Funkytown — Lipps Inc.

1981

  1. 🏆 Bette Davis Eyes — Kim Carnes
  2. The One That You Love — Air Supply
  3. Jessie's Girl — Rick Springfield
  4. Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It or Not) — Joey Scarbury
  5. Stars on 45 — Stars on 45
  6. I Don't Need You — Kenny Rogers
  7. America — Neil Diamond
  8. Slow Hand — The Pointer Sisters
  9. Give Me the Night — George Benson
  10. The Tide Is High — Blondie

1982

  1. 🏆 Don't You Want Me — The Human League
  2. Rosanna — Toto
  3. Keep on Walking — Jermaine Jackson
  4. Heat of the Moment — Asia
  5. Hurts So Good — John Cougar
  6. Only the Lonely — The Motels
  7. Abracadabra — Steve Miller Band
  8. Even the Nights Are Better — Air Supply
  9. Hold Me — Fleetwood Mac
  10. Always on My Mind — Willie Nelson

1983

  1. 🏆 Every Breath You Take — The Police
  2. Flashdance... What a Feeling — Irene Cara
  3. Electric Dreams — P. Susser
  4. Never Gonna Give You Up — Rick Astley
  5. Is There Something I Should Know? — Duran Duran
  6. Stand Back — Stevie Nicks
  7. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) — Eurythmics
  8. She Works Hard for the Money — Donna Summer
  9. The Safety Dance — Men Without Hats
  10. China Girl — David Bowie

1984

  1. 🏆 When Doves Cry — Prince
  2. Dancing in the Dark — Bruce Springsteen
  3. The Reflex — Duran Duran
  4. Self Control — Laura Branigan
  5. Ghostbusters — Ray Parker Jr.
  6. Jump (For My Love) — The Pointer Sisters
  7. Sad Songs (Say So Much) — Elton John
  8. Eyes Without a Face — Billy Idol
  9. Borderline — Madonna
  10. Infatuation — Rod Stewart

1985

  1. 🏆 Sussudio — Phil Collins
  2. A View to a Kill — Duran Duran
  3. Raspberry Beret — Prince and The Revolution
  4. Everytime You Go Away — Paul Young
  5. The Power of Love — Huey Lewis and the News
  6. Heaven — Bryan Adams
  7. You Give Good Love — Whitney Houston
  8. Glory Days — Bruce Springsteen
  9. Would I Lie to You? — Eurythmics
  10. Sentimental Street — Night Ranger

1986

  1. 🏆 Invisible Touch — Genesis
  2. Holding Back the Years — Simply Red
  3. Sledgehammer — Peter Gabriel
  4. Danger Zone — Kenny Loggins
  5. Live to Tell — Madonna
  6. Nasty — Janet Jackson
  7. Your Love — The Outfield
  8. Higher Love — Steve Winwood
  9. Love Touch — Rod Stewart
  10. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) — Pet Shop Boys

1987

  1. 🏆 Alone — Heart
  2. I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) — Whitney Houston
  3. Shakedown — Bob Seger
  4. In Too Deep — Genesis
  5. Living on a Prayer — Bon Jovi
  6. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For — U2
  7. Point of No Return — Exposé
  8. Heart and Soul — T'Pau
  9. Don't Disturb This Groove — The System
  10. Something About You — Level 42

1988

  1. 🏆 Dirty Diana — Michael Jackson
  2. The Flame — Cheap Trick
  3. Mercedes Boy — Pebbles
  4. Make Me Lose Control — Eric Carmen
  5. Pour Some Sugar on Me — Def Leppard
  6. New Sensation — INXS
  7. Nothin' But a Good Time — Poison
  8. Just Got Paid — Johnny Kemp
  9. Hands to Heaven — Breathe
  10. Perfect World — Huey Lewis and the News

1989

  1. 🏆 If You Don't Know Me by Now — Simply Red
  2. Right Here Waiting — Richard Marx
  3. Good Thing — Fine Young Cannibals
  4. Toy Soldiers — Martika
  5. Buffalo Stance — Neneh Cherry
  6. Baby Don't Forget My Number — Milli Vanilli
  7. I'll Be There for You — Bon Jovi
  8. Express Yourself — Madonna
  9. Miss You Much — Janet Jackson
  10. Cold Hearted — Paula Abdul

🎬 Box Office #1 This Week

The biggest movie in America during this week, for each year of the decade.

YearFilmWeekend GrossWatch Now
1980——Check your streaming apps
1981——Check your streaming apps
1982——Check your streaming apps
1983——Check your streaming apps
1984——Check your streaming apps
1985——Check your streaming apps
1986——Check your streaming apps
1987——Check your streaming apps
1988——Check your streaming apps
1989——Check your streaming apps

📺 Primetime TV Spotlight

What America was watching in primetime this week across the decade.

Where to Watch 📺 Primetime TV Spotlight →

Enjoying This Week in the 80s? Share it with a friend who lived through the decade.

Read more